


December 15

by VR_Trakowski



Series: Advent 2015 [15]
Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Advent Calendar, F/M, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-07 00:37:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5436905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VR_Trakowski/pseuds/VR_Trakowski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A discussion of space holidays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	December 15

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5333558).

“You got me thinking.”  Jupiter swung around in her chair as Caine came into the room, bringing with him a wave of humid air from the shower.  Jupiter figured it was a good thing her inheritance was paying their apartment’s utility bills, because after a lifetime of short, cold washes in military facilities, Caine was wringing every drop of enjoyment he could out of unlimited hot water.  

“About what?”  He was fully dressed-- _too bad_ \--but his hair was still damp and curly, and his wings were half-extended to dry.  Jupiter got up to duck behind him and help straighten the barbs on the feathers.  A few always got stuck when wet.  

“Holidays.  I tried looking them up on that intergalactic ‘net, but--”  Jupiter took gentle hold of one feather and ran her fingers down it, pressing lightly to smooth it.  Caine tipped his head back, a sure sign of his enjoyment.  

“Too much information?”  He’d curved the other wing around and was working on that one himself, by touch.  

“That too, but--I dunno, all the Entitled holidays come around like once a century or something, it takes forever.  And everything else is kind of restricted to one planet at a time.  Except for that Orus centennial, but that doesn’t sound like any fun.”  

Caine huffed, a thoughtful sound.  “The human civilization’s too widespread.  You don’t really grasp how big it is, yet; the only constant is the double control of Regenex and the Entitled.”  He sounded apologetic.  “Even Orus’ rule is...thin, in places.”  

Jupiter fixed another feather.  “But everyone wants to live forever, huh?”  She didn’t bother keeping the bitterness from her voice.  

Caine sighed.  “Wouldn’t you, if you didn’t know where it came from?” he asked softly.  

_But they **do** know; they just don’t care._  But it was an old argument and not worth hashing over, particularly with someone who wasn’t up to a good old-fashioned Russian shouting match.  “Splices don’t have holidays, as far as I could tell,” Jupiter said after a moment.  

Caine hesitated.  “Not as such,” he said.  “Some Splicers have a day of celebration on their own birth anniversaries and extend it to their personnel.  But if we celebrate any it’s at the behest of our contract holders.”  

_Now that’s just depressing._  “Well.  Maybe I should start a new one--an annual Splice holiday.  They get the day off, and everybody else just has to deal.”  

Caine’s wings quivered with his chuckle, and then the feather Jupiter was smoothing slid out of her grasp as he turned to put his arms around her.  “Will there be cake?”  

“And presents,” Jupiter told him, leaning up for a kiss.  “Spliceday?  Splicemas...no, that’s weird…”  

“Jupiter Day,” Caine suggested, and she shook her head.  

“Got one already.  Thursday’s my day.  The Day of Splices, how does that sound?”  

He was looking down at her with the vulnerable, wide gaze that never failed to melt her.  “It’ll never catch on,” he said, resigned but still smiling.  

“I’ll make it a trend.  Promise,” Jupiter said, and kissed him again.  

It wouldn’t make up for everything, but at least it would be a start…  


End file.
